If you’ve been reading this column with any regularity, then you’ve probably noticed that the Weekly Whedon has been focusing primarily on TV and online projects – the stuff that originally brought Mr. Whedon to our attention. But it’s worth mentioning that a film called “Marvel’s The Avengers” was released almost exactly three months ago. It pretty much changed everything – for the better, of course.

Let’s talk statistics for a minute: Number one comic book adaptation/superhero movie. Number one movie of the past year. Third highest-grossing movie of all time. There is no other film director, aside from James Cameron, who has had a more commercially successful movie.

“He’s so smart and he’s so thoughtful and if anybody can keep a lot of balls in the air and still manage to entertain and not fall into every cliché of the form, I couldn’t imagine a better person,” says writer/producer Marti Noxon, who has been a Whedonite since “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Jane Espenson, another long-time Whedon collaborator, says that “Joss has a great way of always delivering. There isn’t ‘good Joss product’ and ‘weak Joss product’ – no, if it’s got the Joss brand, it’s going to be awesome.”

And by all accounts, “awesome” is a fitting word for “The Avengers” – the Marvel characters we’ve come to know and love at their best and most heroic, with just the right mixture of action, levity and pain.

So now everyone knows about the genius of Joss. Like Comic-Con, he’s gone from a geek favorite, cherished by a few loyal fans, to a universal pop culture icon. Will it spoil him? Not a chance. As Noxon points out, “Who makes ‘Avengers’ and then goes and shoots their own adaptation of Shakespeare for fun?” No one but our guy.

MTV News producer Tami Katzoff presents The Weekly Whedon, a column exploring all corners of the Whedonverse from "Marvel's The Avengers" to "Buffy" and beyond. Assemble your reactions in the comments section!